


these are the games we play

by vinndetta



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 05:31:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20501699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinndetta/pseuds/vinndetta
Summary: It turns into a game for them, these back-and-forth faux proposals. Until one day something Erik says feels a little too real, and Charles has to reflect back on their entire friendship.Somewhere along the way, it stops being a game.





	these are the games we play

**Author's Note:**

> a short snippet/intro to finally get myself to write this. it's been sitting in drafts forever.
> 
> title credits: the games i play from the soundtrack of falsettos

"We... we got free dessert," is the first thing that Erik says to Charles as soon as he's back from the bathroom.

Charles sits down, brows furrowed, eyeing the chocolate cake with suspicion. To the best of his knowledge, they hadn't even ordered dessert whatsoever, so the likelihood of them getting free dessert of all things is statistically low.

"What's it for?"

"Uh, well," Erik smirks slightly, and Charles knows this is going to lead to another bad idea of his. "The waiter congratulated us on getting married?"

Everything clicks into place.

Erik had been showing him a ring that he'd adjusted and fixed up for a mutual friend of theirs, and Charles had commented on it a bit. It was just a small thing that he did, especially considering how easy his mutation made it for him to fix up jewelry and other such things. Apparently, someone had saw it and thought that it was a proposal.

"Oh." Charles says, uselessly. He can see Erik plotting from here, the ideas stewing up in his brain. Charles huffs. At least hopefully this time, Erik's idea won't involve Charles bailing him out of jail.

-

Charles and Erik have been friends since, well, forever.

Well, not literally forever, but it certainly feels like it.

Charles first met Erik in their first year of undergrad, as randomly-assigned roommates. As randomly-assigned roommates go, they actually got along pretty well. Despite their disagreements and arguments, their friendship stuck.

After years of rooming together, Charles is now a graduate student at NYU and Erik is now a law school student at Columbia. Still, they're roommates, and they act as if they're childhood friends.

-

As such, Charles isn't at all surprised when this conversation continues in their apartment three days later.

-

"We should do it again."

Charles puts down the book.

"What again?"

"The proposal thing."

"The faux-proposal thing, you mean."

"For what, free dessert?"

"Yes!"

"Absolutely not."

Charles stands up and goes to lock himself inside his room. Erik knocks on the door a bit, but eventually gets the idea and leaves.

Charles spends the rest of the day wondering how he got stuck with this idiot of a friend.

-

It all really starts when Charles notices that Erik is hiding something. More specifically, hiding something from him. Charles has gone long enough dealing with Erik's antics that he knows that something is going to happen, whether or whether not he knows what.

"What are you up to." Charles states it not at all like a question when Erik taps his fingers on the table, waiting for something, even though their food has already arrived and been eaten long ago.

"Getting ready," is his only response, and Charles resists the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose out of frustration.

"Getting ready for what--" He stops in the middle of his sentence.

Oh no.

_Absolutely not_, Charles projects, narrowing his eyes. _You are _not_ doing this--_

"Come on, Charles, free dessert!" Erik whispers excitedly. "I even checked Yelp - it's guaranteed. They do it _every_ time."

Charles's frown deepens. "Need I remind you that I'm a spoiled rich brat, as you told me the other day? We can afford to get dessert."

"But think about it - these corporations don't need more money, and besides, who gives up free dessert, even if you're a billionaire?"

Charles deadpans. "Don't you hate stingy rich people who get richer by keeping all their money to themselves?"

"Shut up, Charles; I'm proposing to you now." He says as he's reaching into his pocket.

"I hate you."

-

Erik gets down on one knee. People immediately look over at the two of them, and Charles hopes that he isn't flushed with embarrassment.

"Charles, when I first fell in love with you, we were dancing at Raven's house party, you drunk beyond belief. You singled me out and made me dance with you, despite my protesting that I don't dance. You were a mess, and not the best dance partner, but something that day told me that you were special."

"I've only known you for six years, but in that time frame, I feel like I've known you for my entire life. You bring out something in me that I didn't know that I had: peace and serenity."

"Loving you is second nature, even in spite of your dancing skills. No, maybe it's because of your dancing. Watching you move is hypnotizing. Everything about you is so beautiful, so gracious. You're passionate, you're optimistic, you're maddeningly irresistible. Everything about you is perfect, especially your flaws."

“Charles Frances Xavier, even with the risk of you stomping me to death with two left feet, would you do me the honor of dancing with me as my husband at our wedding?”

Charles gulps.

"I..."

Erik looks at him earnestly.

"I will."

The place cheers.

-

"Congratulations on your proposal! Here's some dessert. On the house. You two are so cute!"

Charles mumbles a thank you.

-

"That was definitely worth it," Erik says offhandedly as he pulls his ring off of Charles with his power, floating it into his pocket. "Next time, maybe I won't use such an embarrassing story."

"Next time?" Charles blinks.

Erik frowns, turning to him. "Do you not want to do it again?"

Charles breathes in deeply. He knows this isn't a good thing, to cheat people out of free dessert. But the frown that Erik is giving him is making it hard for him to say no.

"One condition."

Erik lights up. "What?"

"I get to propose next time."

Charles smirks, and Erik is looking down at him, face unreadable.

For a moment, Charles isn't sure if he's said the right thing.

Erik then bursts into a grin. "Then we're on."

-

But that's not really when it _truly_ starts.

**Author's Note:**

> find me at @vinndetta / @twinkcharlesxavier on tumblr ! feedback in the form of kudos, comments, etc. are very much appreciated <3


End file.
